BMW M3
It is left hand drive only, has a dogleg gearbox that
makes stop start driving seem like a particularly arcane
form of torture, and possesses the sort of boxy styling that
would not look out of place on a Lada, but the BMW M3, in
its original E30 guise is a true modern icon and has earned
a place on The List through a combination of sublime
handling and uncompromised road racer appeal.
Conceived as an homologation special for Group A Touring
Car competition, the original M3 was much more than merely a
souped-up version of the standard 3 series. The 2.3 litre 16
valve engine was unique to the car, as were much of the
bodyshell, the high ratio steering rack, the wider track and
the suspension setup. The end result was a car that swept the
board in touring car races internationally, winning, amongst
other things, the World Touring Car Championship, the DTM
and the European Touring Car Championship.
There are a number of models to choose from, but, in our
opinion, the best is the rare, Sport Evo model, with its
larger capacity engine (up to 2.5 litres) and adjustable
spoilers. This model benefited from all of the incremental
improvements made during the M3’s lifespan, and feels
marginally quicker than the earlier models both in a
straight line and through the corners.
Step into any M3 and the first thing that strikes you is
the odd angle of the steering wheel, which is canted away
from the driver in the style of a Routemaster bus. The
gearbox, which, of course is on your right - M3s being
unavailable in right hand drive - features a dogleg first
gear, which enables second, third, fourth and fifth to be
arranged in an H pattern. This takes a little while to
become accustomed to (which inevitably results in a spate of
embarrassing stalls at junctions) but, once mastered,
gearchanges become smooth and intuitive, as the box has a
nicely sprung, positive action across the gate.
Straight line speed is comparable with an early Elise –
the power and torque to weight ratios of the two cars are
very similar – and, like the Lotus, the M3 is in its element
when being hustled through a combination of corners. There
is some body roll, but the ride/handling compromise for fast
road use is close to perfection; the suspension is soft
enough to allow for rapid progress on less than perfect
surfaces, but not so soft that it detracts from the car’s
cornering abilities.
Up your speed and the M3 reveals the benign playfulness
that has earned it such an illustrious reputation as a
driver’s car. The onset of loss of grip, whether at the
front or back of the car is clearly communicated through the
steering, and there is always the feeling that the M3 is
doing its best to help you out. Beyond the limits of grip,
it still provides you with options; throttle position as
much as steering input being able to dictate the direction
of travel. Lift off gently to quell understeer or oversteer,
or get on the throttle early to enter into an elegant drift
– the choice is yours.
The real beauty of the M3, though, is its accessibility;
its modest power and tyre dimensions mean that it can be
driven close to its limits more easily than say, an M3 CSL,
with its sticky tyres and ultra stiff suspension. And isn’t
it far more fun to drive a slower car at 10/10ths than to
never reach the limits of a quicker car?
